ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Friday adjourned hearing of Panama Papers Case till first week of January 2017, and said that a new bench would be formed to hear the Case again.
The five-member bench of the Supreme Court resumed hearing of Panama Case in Islamabad on Friday, two days after it sough suggestions over formation of Panama Commission.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) opposed the constitution of a Commission to probe the Panamagate while its Counsel Naeem Bukhari said that they would boycott the Commission if formed to hear the Case.
The Counsel of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Salman Aslam Butt, told the Supreme Court bench that his client would have no issue if a Commission was formed.
However, the Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali clarified that it was the prerogative of the Court to form a Commission or not. He said that approval of parties over the Commission was not required.
Justice Jamali said that he was retiring and after the Full Court Reference, he would not sit in any bench.
The Chief Justice said that if they declared that all available evidences were correct then the opposite party would object it, saying that they were not given a chance to defend.
The Chief Justice said that a new Supreme Court bench would be formed that would hear the Case from beginning. He said that counsels of parties would have to submit their evidences again.
Later, the Court adjourned the hearing till first week of January 2017.
On Thursday, the PTI Chief Imran Khan told media representatives in Islamabad that they had full confidence over the existing Supreme Court bench and wanted it to decide the Case. Imran Khan also suggested day-to-day hearing of the Panama Case.
